Pro golfers Dustin Johnson, left, and Jason Day Brandt take advantage of the sunny weather to fly remote control replicas of themselves as part of a promotion for adidas adizero golf shoes.
— K.C. Alfred / UT San Diego

Admit it: You can’t help yourself from mirroring Tiger’s fist pump when he sinks a 20-foot double-breaker. The principled parent, devoted husband, or honorable citizen in you may hate it, but with Woods, the fanatic in you is all we see.

It’s been just three years since his sex scandal dumbfounded the country and more than four since he last won a major – and yet, the galleries, ratings and general hoopla are as potent today as ever.

Ripa expects Woods’ presence at the tourney, which runs Thursday through Sunday at Torrey Pines Golf Course, to increase attendance by at least 30 percent. The media tent was made 15 percent larger once Tiger announced that he’d be playing, and the TV ratings are expected to double.

But it’s no surprise that so many eyes gravitate toward Woods when he stalks the fairways. What’s remarkable is how few of those eyes roll when they see him.

Let’s face it – Tiger Woods isn’t a likable guy. Even if you ignore the infidelity and complete sham of an image he projected for more than a decade, his personality is flatter than a 1-iron.

He’ll never chitchat with the everyman at a Pro-Am. He’s a veritable pull-string doll after a round, rotating quotes like “I just need to get better,” or “I’m getting closer,” or “I just couldn’t make putts.” And if something steamy does come out of his mouth, it’s usually four letters and follows a hook or slice.

But galleries still cheer him like a conquering general… and you know what? That’s OK.

It’s OK, because there is nothing in sports like Tiger making a charge on Sunday. It’s OK, because only Woods can elicit a 100-decibel roar from a crowd that simply watched his name move up the leaderboard while sitting six holes away.

Rooting for Tiger may not be cool anymore, it may not be something to take pride in – but if you’re a sports enthusiast who wants to feel that incomparable energy again, rooting for Tiger is awfully tough to avoid.

“The fans have always been fantastic and extremely supportive,” said Woods, who had over 100 followers during his practice round Tuesday. “It’s been great.”

In 2010, when Woods first returned to the links following the scandal, he confessed to being worried about how he’d be received. But while his Q-score may be forever damaged, and while the Gillettes and Tag Heuers may never call again, the bellows from fans never seemed to wane.

It was an interesting reaction from the public when you consider how LeBron James – who never complained about a teammate, never asked for a trade, and was consistently amicable with the media – became despised due to one bad PR move.